Department for Communities and Local Government

First Time Buyers

Mr Robin Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many first-time buyers have (a) bought properties in Worcester and (b) been helped by the help-to-buy scheme to purchase properties in each of the last five years.

Brandon Lewis: This Government is committed to supporting people’s aspirations to own their own home. The Department does not collate statistics on the total number of first-time buyers at local authority level. The Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme has been running for 17 months. The Department’s official statistics on sales for the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme, to 31 August 2014, broken down by local authority for England, are available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-monthly-statistics. In Worcester, the number of families buying a home with the support of the Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme, as of 31 August 2014, was 79, of which 59 (75 per cent) were bought by first-time buyers.The Government does not collect statistics for first-time buyers under Help to Buy: NewBuy. The latest official statistics, to 30 June 2014, are available at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/338725/20140731_Help_to_Buy_Equity_Loan_and_Help_to_Buy_NewBuy_statistical_release.pdf. There have been 7 sales in Worcester local authority until that point.The Help to Buy: Mortgage Guarantee scheme is managed by HM Treasury and has been running for 12 months. Figures are currently available only for sales during the first nine months of the scheme, to 30 June 2014. There have been 39 sales in Worcester local authority until that point. The latest data is available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/help-to-buy-mortgage-guarantee-scheme-quarterly-statistics-october-2013-to-june-2014. This includes total numbers of sales at individual local authority level (Table 7) and UK-wide figures for the number of first-time buyers (Table 6).

Council Tax: Greater London

Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total amount of uncollected council tax is in each London Borough in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Kris Hopkins: In our best practice document, “50 ways to save”, we listed improving council tax collection rates and reducing arrears as a key way of making sensible savings to help keep overall council tax bills down and protect frontline services. Every penny of council tax that is not collected means a higher council tax for the law-abiding citizen who does pay on time.   It is important that councils are sympathetic to those in genuine hardship, are proportionate in enforcement and do not overuse bailiffs; indeed, my Department published best guidance on this aspect in 2013.   The cumulative level of council tax arrears in each London Borough is listed in the Table, ranked by amount. Whilst total levels of arrears in London have fallen since 2010, these figures show that there is still a significant source of income for councils, which they could use to support frontline service or further freeze council tax bills. 



Council Tax Arrears Table
(Word Document, 27.07 KB)

Local Development Frameworks

Mr David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which local planning authorities do not have an adopted local development framework in place.

Mr David Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many local planning authorities do not have an adopted local development framework in place.

Brandon Lewis: The Localism Act helped abolish the Labour Government’s top-down Regional Strategies and strengthened the role of Local Plans (complemented by neighbourhood planning) in determining where new development should and should not go. Our locally-led planning system now asks councils to have up-to-date plans in place, for elected councillors to take decisions, sometimes challenging, in consultation with local residents.We have provided support for all local authorities in plan-making, both directly and in conjunction with the Planning Inspectorate and Planning Advisory Service. This includes engagement from expert officials to support authorities in resolving challenging issues and preparing effectively for examination, and by providing direct support on technical matters via the Planning Advisory Service.The National Planning Policy Framework strongly encourages all areas to get Local Plans in place quickly as the best way of determining what development is appropriate and where; councils with a Local Plan are in a strong position to stop unwanted speculative development.Plan production has increased significantly since 2010: 79% of local authorities have now published a Local Plan, and 59% have an adopted Local Plan. In addition, there are high numbers of Plans at examination. A breakdown by local authority can be found online at: www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/planningsystem/localplansTo place this in context, six years after the Labour Government's 2004 Planning Act, by May 2010, only one in six local planning authorities had an adopted Core Strategy, reflecting how the torturous regional planning process slowed down development and stymied local plan-making and local decision-making.

Pay

Mr Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the (a) highest and (b) lowest full-time equivalent salary paid by (i) his Department and (ii) its public bodies was in (A) 2010-11, (B) 2011-12, (C) 2012-13, (D) 2013-14 and (E) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Kris Hopkins: The attached table lists the information since 2009-10. All staff are paid at least the Living Wage, and the London Living Wage where appropriate. Staff costs for core DCLG have fallen from £216 million in 2009-10 to £95 million in 2013-14, a reduction of 56 per cent in cash terms and an annual saving of £121 million a year.



Departmental Salary
(Word Document, 28.06 KB)

Planning Permission

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he has any plans to strengthen local democratic oversight of planning decisions; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: This Government has abolished the last Administration’s top-down Regional Strategies imposed by unelected regional bodies, and given elected local councils the power to shape where development should and should not go through up to date Local Plans. Neighbourhood planning allows for further devolution of power down to local residents, with a local referendum to approve the local neighbourhood plan. Our broader transparency reforms also allow for enhanced scrutiny of planning – for example, the press and public can now film and use social/digital media to report Planning Committees. Whilst it is for local councils to determine their own individual procedures on planning applications, including which decisions are delegated, we should certainly encourage applications which are particularly contentious to be scrutinised by a full Planning Committee.

Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014

Mr Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from town councils regarding paragraph 7(2) of the draft Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014.

Kris Hopkins: A summary of the representations received can be found in the Explanatory Memorandum to the statutory instrument (SI 2014 No. 2095). Paragraph 7 of the statutory instrument relates to the recording of delegated decisions. Paragraph 8.5 of the Explanatory Memorandum explains the drafting and policy improvements we made to the draft text following feedback from local authorities, including representatives of town and parish councils. We have also published a plain English guide to the new rules, to help both the public and local councils, including a section for town and parish councils. This can be found online: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-and-accountable-local-government-plain-english-guide

Openness of Local Government Bodies Regulations 2014

Mr Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Openness of Local Bodies Regulations 2014 on bureaucracy and the cost of services provided by town councils.

Kris Hopkins: Council meetings are public meetings, open to both the press and public. We have updated analogue access rules, originally introduced by Margaret Thatcher in a Private Members’ Bill in 1960, for a digital age. Legislation now allows for the press and public to report such meetings through digital and social media, including allowing the filming of council meetings. As the Explanatory Memorandum to the statutory instrument explains, we do not envisage any substantive cost or burden on local authorities from this. There is no new requirement for councils to film or audio record meetings; rather, legislation has been amended to allow the press and public to make their own reports of a public meeting, if they wish. These reforms will help bring greater awareness of the good work that councillors do for their local communities, and increase reporting and scrutiny of the local democratic process, ultimately saving taxpayers’ money by reducing waste and inefficiency.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to answer Question No. 208029, tabled by the right hon. Member for Leeds Central on 3 September 2014.

Stephen Williams: Question 208029 was answered on 18 September 2014.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to answer Question No. 208306, tabled by the right hon. Member for Leeds Central on 4 September 2014.

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to answer Question No. 208307, tabled by the right hon. Member for Leeds Central on 4 September 2014.

Penny Mordaunt: Questions 208306 and 208307 were answered on 24 September.

Home Office

HM Passport Office

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings the Minister for Security and Immigration has had with the Chief Executive and senior officials of HM Passport Service since November 2013.

James Brokenshire: Home Office Ministers have regular meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Ministry of Justice

Open Prisons

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners in an open prison have previously breached a licence condition while released on temporary licence.

Jeremy Wright: Keeping the public safe is our priority. That is why this Government has taken action on both releases on temporary licence (ROTL) and absconds from prison. We commissioned a fundamental review of ROTL policy and practice last year and, in March, announced a package of measures to ensure that the public was properly protected. We have brought forward some of those measures so that they take effect immediately; particularly with more serious offenders, where the review concluded that an enhanced risk assessment approach should be taken. Absconds have reached record lows under this Government but each incident is taken seriously. Immediate changes have already been ordered to tighten up the system as a matter of urgency. Prisoners will no longer be transferred to open conditions or allowed out on temporary release if they have previously absconded.My officials are currently working to provide the information requested. I will write to you in due course.

Jeremy Wright: Keeping the public safe is our priority. That is why this Government has taken action on both releases on temporary licence (ROTL) and absconds from prison. We commissioned a fundamental review of ROTL policy and practice last year and, in March, announced a package of measures to ensure that the public was properly protected. We have brought forward some of those measures so that they take effect immediately; particularly with more serious offenders, where the review concluded that an enhanced risk assessment approach should be taken. Absconds have reached record lows under this Government but each incident is taken seriously. Immediate changes have already been ordered to tighten up the system as a matter of urgency. Prisoners will no longer be transferred to open conditions or allowed out on temporary release if they have previously absconded.My officials are currently working to provide the information requested. I will write to you in due course.